Monday, March 4, 2013

The Casket Creatures New Video "Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb."

There was a time when I thought I was never meant to
actually see The Casket Creatures play.
Since the demise of The Spectremen, there had been a ghoul rock void in
Atlanta. When I heard that there was a
new horror punk band on the block
carrying the banner, I knew I needed to see them. Fate kept stepping in the damn way though. The first time I tried to see them, I had to
leave the show before they went on. The
second time, they went on early and I got there just as they left the
stage. The third time…um, I was too
drunk to remember why I missed them that time.
Then, one glorious night at the equally glorious Clermont Lounge, I finally
caught their set. Since then, I’ve seen the ghouls from Gainesville quite a few times, both headlining and opening for horror rock
heavyweights like Wednesday 13 and Michale Graves, and they’ve quickly become
one of my favorite Atlanta bands.

There are really only two kinds of horror punk bands out
there; those who are influenced by The Misfits and those who rip off The
Misfits. After all, they did create the
genre. While the Casket Creatures
definitely wear their Misfits influence on their sleeve, often covering Halloween
and/or Vampira, they are not a straight rip off…not that there’s anything
wrong with that. They’re more spiritual
kin with some of the modern horror bands that add more of an aggressive tone
and an “epic” spin to the traditional
formula. Bands like The Other, The
Crimson Ghosts, or Blitzkid.

Listening to the Creatures play, you can pick out
distinctive elements and styles that make up their sound. The dual guitar attack, with Jamie Robertson
riffing like a hybrid beast of punk intensity and metal power and Derek Obscura
bringing the glam rock sleaze factor, makes for a potent jolt of
adrenaline. Ryan Howard is an old
school horror punk crooner, but he knows how to bring a more aggressive vocal
style to the proceedings when the moment is right. The rhythm section, comprised of Drew Chandler on melodic yet punishing bass and his brother Bradley Chandler beating the drums, and you, into submission, anchors it
all. There’s also an indescribable yet
undeniable Southern flavor to their music.
It’s not so much in their playing style, it’s just that extra little
swagger and raunch that only us lunatics from the sticks can muster. Like I always say, there’s no psycho like
Southern psycho.

Their first cd, Tales From The Unknown, is a hell of an
album, containing live staples like Agnes, Evil Comes Home, and Bad 2
Hearse. The band has changed since
Tales’ release in 2011, however. Only
Ryan and Jamie remain from the original lineup. Since then, the band has become a better-stitched together
monstrosity…and a meaner one at that.
Their new album, Sex, Blood, and Rock n’ Roll, is due out very soon on
GNO Records, and will feature the new line up.
I’ve heard a lot of the new tracks live, including my personal favorite
Lizzie’s Song, and I’m intrigued to hear how those work on cd. I have a feeling that SD&R&R will do
a much better job of capturing the energy that the Creatures bring to the stage
in a live environment. You can check
out a few of the band’s tunes HERE, including two (Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb
and Bats, Blood, & Bitches) off of the upcoming album. Mummy’s Tomb is also available for download
HERE, along with their new T-shirt.

The horror punk community worldwide is starting to take
notice of what Atlanta audiences have known for a while now. Last year, The Casket Creatures were invited
to play the Ghoul’s Night Out festival alongside legends like Blitzkid and
Mister Monster. They recently won the
Band of the Year, Best Up And Coming Band, and Most Anticipated Album awards at
Horror-Punks.com. Their new video, for
the track Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, debuted last Monday and scored over 700
views on its first day. Speaking of the
video, here it is for your viewing pleasure.
Take one part Abbott and Costello, one part Scooby Doo, and one part Dig
Up Her Bones, and you’ve got the idea.
It’s a fun homage to the classic horror of yesteryear. Check it out…

See, I told you it was killer. So, now that I’ve introduced you to the
boys, go tell your friends. Hell, tell
your enemies too. You can follow the
exploits of The Casket Creatures at their facebook page HERE, and expect more
band news here on SOC as the album’s release date shambles towards us with that
bloodthirsty gleam in its one remaining eye…